Dark Tears
by Chut Up Bushes
Summary: Sophia's world is turned upside down when her husband dies in a freak accident. Then comes the shock of her life when she wakes up to find that her husband and daughter never even existed. Her friend says she's crazy while a stranger doesn't. Who's right?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"I can't get up." Casey complained. Sophia Dixon walked around the car to her five-year-old daughter hopping insanely, reaching for the door handle. Sophia laughed and picked Casey up, opening the door of her car. It seemed like every mother had an SUV these days, either to say, "Hey, I'm a snobby slut who owns a ten bedroom house!" Or, "I'm a caring mother who will provide safe transportation for my child and her friends." Okay, so only Sophia said the last one.

As she climbed into the car, she looked in the rearview mirror to see Casey rummaging through her Dora the Explorer backpack.

"Momma, wait, I can't find the picture I drew for Miss Keene." She looked at her mom, her blue eyes wide and panicked.

"The one with the cat?"

"No, the one with the horse!" Casey cried. She tried opening the car door, but thanks to child lock, failed, even when she attempted pulling the lock up.

Just then, Matt Dixon came running down the driveway. His tie was half off, and his shoes were untied. He tripped, but caught himself before he fell. Casey giggled at the sight of her father that way. Sophia rolled down her window.

"Casey…" He took a breath, panting, "Forgot… her cat… picture." Matt sighed, grasping the door.

"It's a horse!" Casey pouted as Sophia handed the painting to her.

"Why are you so out of breath?" Sophia questioned, a tinge of worry in her voice. "You're not getting _too _old, are you?"

"Daddy already is old!" Casey laughed. Matt eyed her.

"I thought you were in the backyard. I saw you go out there. So I ran all around the backyard, then down the two mile driveway!" He over exaggerated.

"I went out there briefly. But I came back in and told you I was leaving."

"Oh. Sorry, I tune you out sometimes." He smiled and gave her a kiss goodbye. Casey made a disgusted face at them.

"Have a good day." Sophia called as he dashed back into the house. She backed slowly out of the driveway.

Matt Dixon peered at his watch as he waited at a red light. Great, great, great. Always red lights when you're late for something, he thought, pounding on the accelerator as the light turned green. He made a sharp turn onto Burnus Avenue, a road swallowed by weeping willows and pine trees. The harsh intensity of the sun died down as Matt drove further and further down the road, shadows dancing across his Toyota. As his car bent around a turn, a large truck came into view. It slowed down and stopped as he passed it, and Matt stopped also, realizing it was Tony Gilbey, the manager down at their local Wal-Mart. They talked a lot considering they had something in common, both running stores. Matt was manager down at the Antique Store in Sunnyville, about five miles from Danton, where he and Sophia lived.

"Hey, Tony. How's it going?"

Tony paused to remove the cigar from his mouth. "Good, Matt. Just wanted to talk business."

Despite the fact that Matt was late, he and Tony conversed about the trials of running stores, and the government, the president, the war, and the high gas prices. They were talking for a good fifteen minutes when Tony interrupted Matt.

"Bender fender?" The husky man grumbled, motioning to the front of Matt's car.

"What?" Matt leaped out, rushing to the front of his car. There was several large scratches and a huge dent the size of his head. "I didn't even know about this!"

"Well, I'll leave you to it then, I'm gonna be late." Tony sighed, throwing his cigar out the window and taking off. As Tony looked back, Matt was still standing in front of his car, inspecting the damage. Tony turned back to the road, and that was when he heard the explosion.

Sophia was waiting at a stop light once again, Casey thumping her legs around.

"Casey- can you stop kicking my seat, please?" The girl sighed and looked down at her picture, then out the window.

Sophia jumped as her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She struggled to remove it just as the light turned green. It was Matt.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Um, you called me-"

"Please state your name, miss, this is the police."

"This is my husband's phone-"

"STATE YOUR NAME!"

"Sophia Dixon."

"And you say this is your husband's cell phone?"

"Yes it is! So, could you please tell me _what _you're doing with it?"

"What's your husband's name?"

"I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING!"

"I'm a police officer, miss, so you tell me your husband's name!"

"Matthew. Matthew Dixon! Please, could you tell me…"

"_Mommy."_

"Sweetie, Mommy's on the phone."

"Miss Dixon, where does your husband work?"

"_Mommy."_

"He works as manager at an Antique Store in Sunnyville. Please, tell me what's going on!"

"What route does he take to work, miss?"

"_Mommy."_

"SHUT UP, CASEY, JUST SHUT UP!"

Casey started wailing.

"No, no, baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, please, Mommy's upset. Please, Casey, stop!" Sophia cried. She rubbed her head and the car felt like it was spinning, but it wasn't, it was just driving. It didn't feel like she was driving strait at all. Her head pounded and her ears rang, the overwhelming echo of her heartbeat shut out the officer's voice.

"Did your husband take Burnus Avenue?"

"Always! Every day! Just tell me what's wrong! I know there's something wrong!"

"Is your husband's license plate number 445-DDP?"

At first Sophia nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her.

"Miss?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Then, your husband was killed fifteen minutes ago in a gas explosion." Sophia inhaled. Her body froze. Her phone fell from her hand as she raised her hand to her mouth. It took all her might to keep her breakfast down.

The car swerved into the next lane, right in front of a tractor trailer.

The clash echoed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sophia flew through the windshield and hit the pavement, smacking her head painfully on the guardrail. She rolled under it onto the safety of the grass, which sent a pain ripping through her ribs, along with her shoulder and left leg. Things spun around her, and she couldn't remember anything for a second. Until it all came back at her like a brick in the head. Her stomach dropped to her feet when she realized Casey had been in the car with her.

She picked her head up from the ground and saw the tractor trailer still rolling, but coming to a stop. The front of her car was in flames, and it was tipped over. Sophia pushed herself up from the ground. She took a step forward, sending pain shooting up her leg, and every time she took a breath, it felt like someone had whacked her in the ribs with a baseball bat. Sophia started running towards the car, and soon her worry decimated her pain.

She reached the SUV, feeling like she had been broken in two million pieces, but yanked the back door open. The flames were dangerously creeping farther on the car, and the heat was overwhelming. Casey was still in her seat, still seat buckled. She didn't move, her eyes were closed. She was knocked out, Sophia concluded, a mild concussion. She reached into the car and clawed at the seat belt as the flames drew closer. She tried to push the button, but it was stuck, jammed or something. She tried grabbing Casey and removing her, but the seatbelt was securely fastened. Her eyes were watering, and it clouded her vision. She started crying from frustration, and ripping furiously at the seatbelt as her fingers began to bleed.

The fire was inches away from her, and that was when she felt arms wrap around her from behind. They pulled her away from the car, and for just one split second, she thought, Matt. Then she didn't. And she watched as the man pulled Casey from the car, running her to safety.

Sophia tried following him, but she had no strength left. She closed her eyes and waited to die, and knew it was the end when someone picked her up. They're carrying me because I'm dead. I'm a dead, useless body. But she opened her eyes. And she saw the highway, and the man who pulled Casey from the car. He looked down at her, but said nothing. He set her down on the grass, then walked away. He just walked away as people came dashing over to her and Casey, calling and calling with their cell phones.

"Sophia."

Someone was saying her name. She could hear a siren not too far away.

"Sophia."

She looked at him. He was Josh. He was Josh, the neighbor. She tried saying something to him, she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She tried again.

"Ca-"

That was it. She couldn't finish saying her daughter's name. But Josh understood.

"The important thing is that we get you help."

Sophia stared at him. He understood what she had said. But he didn't want to answer her.

"Casey." Sophia managed, glancing in her direction. But too many people were huddled around her.

The ambulances were here now. And the fire trucks, and the police. The ambulance workers took out two carts. She was lifted carefully onto the one with the blankets. The other one had a bag. One of those blue zipper bags that they put you in once you're dead. They were rolling that cart towards Casey. Sophia shook her head. She looked up at Josh, who was right by her side.

"Don't."

"Sophia? What is it?"

"Don't let them."

"What? Sophia- don't try to talk, these guys are going to help you."

"Don't let them put her in the bag."

"Sophi- I think they already have." Josh said, his voice breaking.

"Get her out of there! She doesn't belong there! Josh, get her out!"

The ambulance doors slammed shut, separating her from everything else.

Sophia was surprised when she found herself staring at an extremely, bleach white ceiling. Instead of waking up in her room like she did every morning, she was somewhere else, with the smell of a hospital looming around her. Where were Matt and Casey? Why was she here? She tried moving to her side, but winced as a sharp pain stabbed her ribs. Her leg ached and her shoulder throbbed. What was going on? She glanced to her side and was surprised again to see Anya, her best friend in the chair next to her, reading a magazine.

"Oh my god. Sophi, you're awake!" Anya shouted. She jumped up from her chair. "How are you feeling?" Anya held Sophia's hand, in sympathy.

"What happened?" Sophia questioned, looking around again. "Why am I here?"

"Sophia, a few hours ago, you were in an accident. Your car was smashed."

"Anya, I don't remember! I don't remember anything! I just remember going to sleep last night, and that's it! And now I'm here, and I don't know what's going on."

"Sophi- did you say you remember going to bed last night? And that's it?" Anya squeezed her hand.

"Yes, that's it. I had dinner with Matt and Casey, and I tucked Casey in, and then Matt and I went to sleep. That's all."

"Oh-" Anya took a quick breath, then pulled her hand away from Sophia's and covered her face.

"Anya…"

"_Please_, Sophia, _remember_. _Please._"

"I don't! I can't! Anya, tell me what's wrong!"

_"I can't. Please don't make me tell you. Please. Remember. REMEMBER IT, DAMMIT!" _Anya shouted, but regretted it as soon as the words came from her mouth. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." She reached over and hugged Sophia.

"I can't remember. Please tell me." Sophia replied sternly, as if disciplining Casey. Casey. "Oh, god, is it Casey? Is she okay?"

"Casey's had a concussion… but just a small one. She'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. She'll be fine."

"Where's Matt?"

Anya stared at her. She blinked quickly. "M- Matt?"

"Yes, Matt, my husband!" Sophia sat up quickly.

Her best friend narrowed her eyes at her, shooting her a quivering half-smile.

"No, Anya! Don't give me that look. Answer me." Sophia demanded, but her friend didn't respond. She was crying.

"He… he died this morning. That's why you crashed when the police called you."

Sophia blinked quickly, then swallowed. Anya put her hand on Sophia's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Her voice came out in a harsh whisper as Sophia started shaking her head. Tears fled from her eyes. "I'm sorry Sophia, I'm sorry." Anya hugged her. The sound of a door closing caused her to turn around. A nurse held Sophia's small daughter by the hand.

"Uh, maybe we should come back later…" The nurse stuttered, turning red and beginning to leave the room. Sophia turned around, sniffling quickly.

"No, no. Let me see her." The nurse released Casey's hand, letting the little girl run, leaping up to the bed to her mother's arms. Sophia held her tightly, kissing her head.

"Casey, I love you so much."

Casey looked up at her mother. "I love you too, Mommy. Why are you crying?"

Sophia took a deep breath. "Something bad happened."

"Oh. Where does it hurt?"

Sophia took Casey's hand in hers and put it to her heart. Casey leaned forward, kissing it. "Does it feel better, Mommy?"

Sophia just hugged her daughter.


End file.
